Castelo Branco Double Reed Festival
Bassoon and Oboe Festival attracts students and teachers from all over the country
Date
30/04/2025
For four intense days, the School of Applied Arts (ESART) hosted another edition of the Bassoon and Oboe Festival, which proved to be a real success at all levels. The event stood out for its pedagogical quality, broad national participation and the spirit of sharing that marked every moment.
With the fourteen available places fully booked, ESART welcomed students from various arts institutions across the country – from ARTAVE (Vale do Ave), Escola Profissional da Covilhã, Seia, Lisbon, to the University of Évora. Teachers from the Conservatory of Castelo Branco, Covilhã and the University of Évora also attended classes, workshops and exhibitions of machines and instruments, in an atmosphere of cooperation and artistic development.
There were two outstanding names at this edition: bassoonist Eduardo Calzada, who came directly from a world tour with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and oboist Bruno Lucas, a renowned pedagogue and head of one of the most sought-after oboe classes in Spain, at the Palma de Mallorca Conservatory. Both expressed great enthusiasm for the level of work done by ESART students and the conditions provided by the school.
One of the highlights was the final chamber music concert, performed by a bassoon quartet with the participation of Calzada, which highlighted the talent and dedication of the students involved.
The ESART students also played a crucial role in welcoming the participants, strengthening the ties between institutions and creating an atmosphere of conviviality and learning that will remain in everyone’s memory.
On behalf of the students and the school’s management, ESART would like to thank the IPCB for its support, stressing the importance of these initiatives in consolidating artistic education and projecting the work carried out in the oboe and bassoon classes.
At a time when higher education institutions are facing challenges in attracting and retaining talent, activities such as this Festival demonstrate the importance of an engaging, quality educational program, paving the way for a promising future.
